Again, we all know I love horror and I love YA novels, so a combination of the two is a dream come true. Trust me when I say, Dead Fake by Vincent Ralph is no exception.

Characters

The characters in Dead Fake are relatable, even if you aren't a teenager. I think we all know what it is like to have people treat us differently because of something we've been through, which is what Ava experiences as the niece of the most recent murderer in Bleak Haven. I'm sure we can all recall the pain of an unrequited love as well, which again, Ava experiences. Not to mention having a very small friend group, as Ava, Mason, and Willow have with each other. The characters are well written, and the ones who need backstory have it. There was a teacher whose backstory I'd love to read about so maybe one of the series could move into the past a bit - just saying.

Atmosphere

Bleak Haven, which is the perfect name for a town that is plagued by tragedy, is a great backdrop for this book. The town has seen more than one murderer/serial killer. While the town doesn't exactly give off the creep vibe - it appears to be just your ordinary, run-of-the-mill town, I have to say, this town just makes the story that much better. Probably because of its name and its history. Again, I'd love to see a book that details the history of Bleak Haven.

Writing

Mr. Ralph has a writing style that is easy to read - it makes the books go by fast, but he doesn't skip the important details. There are a lot of authors who will skip details that would have been good to know. Not Mr. Ralph. If you need to know, you'll know. If you don't, well, you can always hope he'll write another book that does give those details. I highly recommend his novels for his writing style.

Plot

This plot was great. A town plagued by tragedies and murders? A teenage girl whose uncle is the town's most recent killer and even ten years down the road, she still has trouble believing he did it? A mysterious website telling people to "Swipe to Die"? People starting to die afterwards? Yeah, count me in. And the plot twist near the end? Perfection! You'll never guess it! I didn't and I'm pretty good and figuring these things out mid-way through the book.

Intrigue

This book has great intrigue in it. Just when you think you might have an idea of who is killing people in this town, BOOM, you're wrong. Even better, there are things in this book that are designed to throw you off! In all honesty, I'm sincerely hoping that those things that are meant to throw you off are going to pop up in the subsequent books in the series, because now I'm curious.

Relationships

The relationships in this book are interesting. There's Willow and Conor, who can't seem to keep their eyes and hands off each other most of the time. There's Willow/Mason/Ava's trio of friends. And then there is Ava and Kash - they used to be best friends and now are... not? They're friends but, not at the same time? And I think Ava might be in love with Kash. I would love to know more about some of the relationships and the people in them - especially what with Mason not seeming to have any particular love interest, while the others do.

Ending

The ending was something I'd never have guessed. The plot twist was absolute perfection. You'll never guess who the "copycat" killer is. Not to mention the other plot twist that turns part of the town's history on its head. Obviously I'm not going to tell you what happens, trust me, you'll want to read it for yourself.

Conclusion

Dead Fake is a story that you won't want to put down. I know I didn't. It was the first book I've read in months that wasn't for school, so that should tell you something. I gave this book 5 stars - and I have the second book already queued up on my Kindle!